Summary: After an alarming text message from Peter, and one urgent voicemail from Drake, Elena returns to New York ahead of schedule from her biochemistry conference in New Hampshire. Drake stops by, and fills her in on the latest.

Date It Happened: April 24, 2007

Never Saw Blue

I can't believeAmong the gold I was aloneI didn't know you, I've never seen you, or heard your nameEven now, I'm so amazed it's like a dreamIt's like a rainbow, it's like the rainSome things are the way they are and words just can't explain

I never saw a blue like that beforeAcross the sky, around the worldYou're giving me all you have and moreNo one else has ever shown me howTo see the world the way I see it now, oh II never saw a blue like that before

It feels like now, it feels always,And it feels like coming home

— Hayley Westenra, Never Saw Blue

~~

The Gomez Apartment, Queens, New York

She had no choice. Elena seems to have returned from her conference in New Hampshire a day early. Thank goodness her group already presented. While her professor wasn't too happy with her skipping out on the rest, she cited Ramon's health problems and that she had received a call prompting her return immediately. She hated lying, but it had to be done. She had already thought about leaving New Hampshire after getting Peter's emergency text message….she thought her willpower could keep her where she was, and that Peter was a big boy, and could handle himself. But when she got a voice message from her BFF, Drake Maxwell, that had been the last straw.

She had to come back to New York.

Arriving with a small suitcase and her jacket over one arm, Elena pushes through the door of her family's apartment, blinking at the spotless look. Ever since Desiree had started living with them, the apartment has been -spotless-.

"Ms. Russo? Papa? Manny?" she calls out….and nothing greets her but silence. She exhales, and walks over to her room, shouldering it open and dumping her suitcase, her backpack, and a pile of books onto the bed. She exhales tiredly, and rubs her eyes.

Tap
Tap
Tap

From outside in the dark, Drake who is crouched down by the window lightly taps on the glass from outside, peeking into her room, and giving a quick wiggle of his fingers. He seems to be skipping in, and out of sight, as if his body is rippling in a staticky manner. Bzzt. Bzzt. He really hopes that she hurries to the window, so that he can turn off his 'cloaking' device that he's been tooling around with in regards to his powers.

"Holy sh— !" Elena presses her hand on her heart when Drake taptaptaps at her window. She squints at what she sees - what the…? Was that something new? Quickly, she strides over to her window, jerking it upwards and taking a step back to let him through. "Drake," she breathes. "How are— what WAS that?" She hasn't seen him do that before, she can't help but ask. She immediately shuts the window once he's in, and drags the drapes down to keep anyone nosy enough from peeking into her window from the building directly across from them.

Climbing into the window, Drake hops the short distance to her bedroom floor, then says, "All I'm doing is turning my power off and on, real quickly, so that I'm shifting myself in and out of my personal time stream. It makes me look blurry. You know, like when I move fast? I figure if I keep doing it quick enough, no one would really get a good look at me, unless they were intentionally looking for me. I don't know.. it probably doesn't even work." He says as he rubs his hands together. "So, Elena.. um… where do I even begin.."

"The beginning is always good," she says, a concerned look flashed to her younger friend as she ushers him further into her bedroom, and gestures to her computer seat. Whenever Drake is seated, Elena walks out of her bedroom, vanishing for a bit, before returning to join him, shutting the bedroom door just in case. "Manny's home," she tells him. "I don't want him overhearing in case he walks through the door any minute." She offers him a can of cola, cracking open her own and depositing herself across from him. She takes a deep drink, exhaling with relief. "What's up?"

Taking the can of cola, Drake says, "Well.. I'm sure you got the same message from Peter, concerning Elle. It looks like the Company is out to get me again. At least two of them are tailing me now, one is an asian girl named Claudine, who's about my age. Another.. /may/ be a blonde named Mallory. I know that she's good friends with Claudine, and claims she goes to my school. There's another by the name of Jenny, who from what I can see, can create earthquakes, and can fly. She called me out, looking for Omega. She wanted to bring me in." He lets out a breath. "I um…spoke with Mrs. Petrelli, Peter's mom about it all, and she told me to talk to Pete. Pete told me to make sure I don't go to home coming, because I found out my friend Brad is taking Claudine to the dance." He rolls his eyes. "Mallory is also showing up to my soccer practices now, cheering the team on. It's getting way too weird. Now.. Elle.. she got mind wiped, and that's the last I heard. Pete's phone been off the hook ever since." He furrows his brows a bit and says, "So.. Elena, my time is ticking. It's only gonna be a matter before they get to me. I think.. you.. you really should tell the others, and get out of here, or something." He shakes his head with a sigh.

Claudine. Mallory. Brad. Jenny. Elena listens, her mouth forming a line as he basically tells her what he knows. She nods. "I haven't heard from them lately," she says. "Though I've been careful to stay out of the radar. There's only one person in the Company at present who knows I know more than I should." That would be the Haitian, who has been helping her family seek answers. Judging by the fact that she hasn't been tailed yet….or was she….? "Though I think they haven't forgotten about me. I met a woman a week ago, by the name of St. James. She mentioned something about Dr. Suresh and a list he was using. I spoke to Dr. Suresh since then, and while he didn't tell me about whatever this list is supposed to be, he did warn me about St. James. Woman, brunette. British accent. Blue green eyes." Aspen, if Drake would recall the woman who had been present when Elena had been 'visited' by the Haitian on that fateful day in Starbucks. She exhales a breath. "Have you told Claire?" she asks. She'll address the 'tell the others' part later.

"No.. I haven't told Claire anything, not yet. I wanted to talk to you first. I think Claire has the best protection in the world. Right now I'm just.. I'm more concerned that.. I may not remember who you are by the end of next week." Drake breathes out worriedly. "But, first thing we need to do is make sure Peter is OK. If Elle is back on the other team, then she may have taken him out and he probably didn't see it coming."

"No need to be so hasty," Elena says quietly, standing up and raking her fingers through her hair as she paces around her room. She pauses for a moment, and then she looks at him. "Is there any place you could go?" she asks. "Some place you could hole up for a while? The last time you tried to run, you mentioned New Jersey. What's in Jersey? Family?" She closes her eyes, trying to remember choice names from a long list of contacts her father had around the area. Extended-extended-extended family. It was how her father hid the last time and it worked for him. "As for Peter, he said that he'd contact me daily," she says, taking out her cellphone. "If I don't hear from him, don't come for him. To be honest on his end I have absolutely no idea what to do. I just have to trust him to know what he's doing for now. He knows these people. He's tangled with them before."

"No, I can't just go to New Jersey. I'm sixteen and in school. The year isn't over until at least another month, and a half, and my mom isn't going to let me drop out of school to go on a vacation to Jersey of all places. She would flip out." Drake says as he settles on the edge of the bed. "By the way, I'm working for the Petrelli's now, at least.. Mrs. Petrelli. It's why I'm not at Starbucks anymore. It kind of just.. fell into my lap. She seems to be really clued in to what is going on." He furrows his brows. "In a scary, Cruella Deville kinda way." He lets out a soft breath, then says, "I can talk to her later and see if she's heard from Peter. I think.. she would be the type that'd.. go out of her way to ensure his safety. She seems to be the type that you don't want to mess around with."

"If she knows the situation…." Elena pauses. "Maybe she's willing to help you out? I've never met her. I've only met Peter and Heidi, and Nathan in passing. If you told Claire, she'd help out too. I'm….trying to figure out the best way to hide you. You said Claire has the best protection available, maybe she can offer the same to you." She pauses, and she smiles. "You know, have the damsel rescue her knight for a change," she teases. After a pause, she nods. "If not….we can try to hide you here. Or one of my other gazillion cousins living in the area. You know I'll do my best to help protect you, even if it's risky. I'm not gonna just abandon you."

"I know Elena.. I know. I love you so much for it, but I may as well face facts. If I go missing, or in hiding, my mom will go to the cops, and I'll end up on a milk carton and she will panic, you know? I can't do that to her." Drake says with a soft sigh. "I can't tell my mom about it either, I mean.. this whole thing is just.. it's really screwed up. The only other option I can come to, is that.. I take the fight to them. Next time Claudine shows up, I put her down, and I put her down hard, and I /make/ her tell me what is going on, and I /make/ her call the dogs off.. or… or else." He says, his voice stammering.

She leaves her seat, setting her cola down so Elena can walk up to him, getting down on one knee and reaching out to take him by the shoulders. "You can't mean that," she says softly, locking gazes with him for a moment. "There has to be another way. There's plenty of time to take the fight to them but not right now. Not when you know they have the advantage." She exhales. "You know I loathe to suggest such passive methods. Hiding. Running. But if something goes wrong, there's -no- going back from that. I've seen it happen. They can make you forget everything, and not just that, but make you -think- it was YOU who did something wrong. You have to be more careful now than ever."

"I've been so careful too. It just seems like they're tying up loose ends now. I mean.. with Elle.. and now getting back to me. Elle promised that she'd make sure they wouldn't come for me ever again, but with her out of the picture, they can do what they want. I guess go back to their 'list' or whatever it is you said, and start ticking off names." Drake says as he slides his arms around her for a hug, leaning in to prop his chin on her shoulder. "I don't know what to do, but they're at my school, they follow me to practice. It's like everywhere I go, I see them, smiling, pretending to act normal. All I think of is the worst.. that.. that they are just waiting for the right moment, and.. and I don't even know /why/ they are fascinated with me."

At the hug, Elena listens, and exhales another breath. Truth be told, she was frightened for him. But she can't show it - it wasn't something he needed. She wraps her arms around him and gives him a squeeze, her chin on his shoulder and her fingers curling into the back of his shirt. As for the list - she wasn't sure if THAT was what it was. Something about finding people. Something about Dr. Suresh. But she focuses on the problem at hand. "All I can tell you is what I've told you already," she says. "Run when they try. Hide if you can. Keep your eyes open and be careful. If I had the power, I'd drag you off to Albany with the rest of my siblings." And -why- are they fascinated with him anyway? "Maybe….if you stopped being Omega for a while they'll ease off. Or maybe it's because of your growing connection with the Petrellis. I don't really know, Drake. But it doesn't change the fact that they are and you have to prepare yourself to defend yourself the best you can." She pulls away just a bit and looks at him. "How's your training going?"

"I.. I haven't trained with Peter since that day, or go out as Omega anymore. I've.. I just wanted to be normal I guess, as much as possible." Drake admits as he shrugs his shoulders. "I did join a dojo, working with Aikido with Master Lysander, but.. beyond that, I'm really doing the routine. Work, school, church, and practice. I don't even get a chance to see Claire much, save a text message here or there to let me know that she's doing OK. We don't have any classes together, so we just try and squeeze out lunch together at school, then .. make plans from there. I think her father has her on a tight leash." He hitches his shoulders upwards a bit. "If.. if they do come for me though, should I fight, should I not hold back? I mean.. I don't know what to do. Are they the enemy? Maybe they're just trying to protect the world from us? I don't even know anything anymore. All I want to do is just .. graduate."

She watches him for a moment, searching his face. Elena was normally of a gentle disposition. She didn't know what Drake would do if he accidentally killed an agent. At the same time, if he was right, if they were -trying- to do things to him….it was their own fault for going after people like Drake like cattle. She didn't know, for once in her life she was stuck in a gray area, for once she didn't know the answer to a moral question. Finally, she pulls away and stands up, looking over at her friend. "If you're forced to fight," she murmurs. "Don't kill them. Otherwise, do what you have to in order to get away." She clenches a fist absently on her side. "To save the world or save ourselves, that doesn't mean they have the right to do what they do. We're human beings. We're not cattle. We're not lab rats."

".. Then.." Drake says, sniffing a bit as his voice wavers for a moment, giving her a harder hug. ".. Then they won't know what hit 'em." He says in a soft tone, before leaning back to stare up at the ceiling. Reaching up, he wipes at his eye for a moment, before giving his head a shake. He's not a baby, he's not going to start breaking out the tears. ".. Twice now they've asked me to join willingly.." He says, clearing his throat. "I guess that's a step up from simply tracking me down. Claudine, that asian girl, she knows I'm Omega. I saved her once from a group of thugs who were trying to beat her up in the park. She showed me some kind of earth powers. She had fairly good control at the time, I think she'd.. be ridiculously dangerous."

When the hug tightens, Elena smoothes a palm down his back, and gives him another squeeze. She lets him go when he leans back, however, and nods. "Terrakinesis, huh?" she says, turning away from him for a moment and sliding her hands in her pockets. Her eyes narrow a little bit. But if Drake was getting teary, she pretends not to notice. He was a guy. He had his pride. She looks over at him and she nods. "Do what you have to do, Drake. Short of killing anyone. No one could fault that of you, not even God," she says softly. "At least, that's what I believe anyway. If her control is good…" She pauses, a determined look falling over her face. "Then we're just going to have to make sure yours is better." She grins at Drake. "Come on. It'll be fun. It'll be like that training montage in the first Rocky movie." She attempts to get him to crack a smile.

"I'm not gonna chase after you on a bicycle, Elena." Drake says with a weak smile on his face, looking amused. "I don't really know what else I can honestly do with my power, that I don't know already." He says with a chuckle, shrugging his shoulders a bit. "But yeah, I really.. don't want to kill someone. Even if they are the bad guy, it'd be horrible." He rubs the bridge of his nose for a moment, then says, "So.. um.. hey, how was your trip?" He tries to shift gears, even if it's for a moment.

"What I'm getting at is refining your control, Drake," Elena says. "At least getting it to the point where your head doesn't feel like a melon about to burst when you concentrate hard, or to the point where your nose doesn't bleed. Though it looks like you've been pretty good at it lately. Like that blurry-camoflauge thing. That was pretty creative." She winks at him. At the last, she shrugs. "It was interesting, but people outside of the scientific community would find it pretty dry. New Hampshire's got some -great- seafood though." She opens up her suitcase, and digs in, and produces, of all things, a stuffed beanie baby lobster with sunglasses and a sombrero. She grins, and hands it to Drake. "To remember me by," she teases.

Grinning, Drake takes the lobster and wiggles it about in his fingers. "That's really cute." He says with an amused look on his face. "I haven't had a nose bleed in awhile. I think with the more practice I've had, the easier it comes. I just get tired now, when I exert myself. Like the time I fought with Peter, we both burned each other out, which was great. I pushed him, and he pushed me." He smiles, and says softly. "Elena. Only you can know about this, but.. I made a tape. A tape of myself, talking about all of you, and what I can do. It's in my sock drawer in my room. If.. if I forget.. you need to make me watch it, OK?"

She pauses. "….Drake if they know where you live, I think it might be best if you give me the tape and I'll hide it," Elena says quietly. "I mean, if you hid it in your sock drawer, if they come to rifle through your things….I think it might be safer if you left the tape with me. If I see that you forgot? I promise I'll make you watch it." She draws a cross over her heart with a pinky. She's already thinking about a place to hide it. Especially if Drake was naming names in the videotape.

"Yeah, that is a way better idea." Drake says with a chuckle. "At the time, I didn't know what to do with it, and I just didn't want my mom to come across it. Sock and undie drawer is sacred grounds." He says in an amused tone. "I'll get it for you tomorrow, promise. Or if you want, just sneak into my room like you always do and grab it. Long as you don't make fun of my Batman boxers I got in there. Present from my Aunt. Don't ask."

She laughs. "The goodie drawer, huh?" Elena teases, dropping back on her bed and looking at him. When things get serious again, she nods. "I'll sneak in and get it, just in case." Oh boy. Breaking and entering -again-. She's getting to become somewhat proficient at it. How many laws has she broken now? But she gives him a small smile. "I'll get it tomorrow. The only people who know I'm back so far is you and Peter. I'll tell Ms. Russo and Papa I'm back, and then grab it when you're off to school." She knows his schedule, at least.

"That's cool." Drake says, pausing a moment, before saying. "Thanks for everything, Elena. I just.. really want you to know that you're my best friend in the whole world, as long as Brad doesn't know, and.. I don't know where I'd be without you. So, you know…." It's like he's saying goodbye or something. "Keep me in your prayers, OK? I may need them the next few days." Rising up, he looks to the window. "I should go and get back before mom finds out I'm misisng."

She walks over to where he stands, and reaches out to hug him, giving him a tight squeeze. "I love you too, Drake. Stop sounding like you're about to die or worse," Elena says, pulling away from him and giving him a small smile. She reaches out to tug a lock of blonde hair away from his forehead, pressing a light kiss upon it. "And I'll pray for you. You know that. I'm just hoping that and everything else is enough." She takes a step back. "Say hi to your mom for me. And be careful."

"I will. She wants to know when you're gonna come over for dinner. She's also dying to meet Claire." Drake says as he hugs her back, giving her nose a bump with his. "I'll be careful, promise." He steps out the window and onto the fire escape, then leaps off it, hitting the ground with a quick tuck and roll, then starts off down the street, keeping to the lights, since the dark may be dangerous.